Utz Kapeh’ is the name of a new international foundation, and means “a good cup of coffee” in the Mayan (Guatemalan) language K’iche’.

It is our belief that together, coffee growers, roasters and traders are responsible for growing and processing coffee in a sustainable way. The Utz Kapeh foundation was set up as a means to prove our commitment to this sustainabilty - our commitment to both the environment and its people.

The mission of the Utz Kapeh foundation is to improve the social, environmental and cultural conditions of coffee farms, their workers and families. The tool to reach this goal is a Code of Conduct, which will result in independent certification of responsibly grown coffee.

The principles of the Utz Kapeh foundation go beyond the concept of organic farming, encompassing conservation as a whole: conservation of traditional farming practices, conservation of the environment and conservation of culture.

To date, 3,000 of Kawacom's robusta farmers in the Bushenyi/Ishaka project are certified by Utz Kapeh, operating within the Code of Conduct.  We are planning for further certification for the washed Arabica farmers in two more areas of Uganda: Kapchorwa and Nebbi.

It is essential that all organisations involved in the food production chain accept their share of the tasks and responsibilities to ensure that Good Agricultural Practice is fully implemented and supported. If consumer confidence in fresh produce is to be maintained, such standards of good agricultural practice must be adopted, and examples of poor practice must be eliminated from the industry. A good cup of coffee goes a long way, and at Kawacom we aim to be good in every sense of the word.

Visit their website: http://www.utzkapeh.org/